Means for opening and closing pressure containers



l March 6, 1945. A. H. HEINEMAN 2,370,650

MEANS FOR' OPENING 'AND CLOSING PRESSURE CONTAINERS 7 Filed Sept. 6, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 6, 1945. A H HBN MAN 2,370,660

MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 6 1945 7 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Z6- Valli a (95l- -EL =1 I l E i v l l I i A March 6, 1945. H, HElNEMAN v 2,370,660

MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING PRES SURE CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 6, 1943 I s Sheets-Sheet a llmmmlmnllmlllll illll llmll Patented Mar. 6, 1945 MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING PRESSURE CONTAINERS Arnold H. Heineman, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Guardite Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 6, 1943, Serial No. 501,398

5 Claims.

This invention relates to means for opening and closing pressure container and more particularly to a convenient and rapid means for open; ing and closing large scale pressure chambers suitable for dehydration of meats and vegetables.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken vertical section of one end of the pressure chamber and the door taken along line I-l of Figure 2;

Fig.2 is a plan section taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. 1 showing the door in open position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the door in 7 closed position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a spread or exploded plan View of the three main elements of the closure member; and Fig. '7 is a corresponding sectional elevation of the three elements positioned to indicate their coactionwhen assembled.

The invention is particularly designed for the operation of meat and vegetable dehydration systems in which large quantities of material to be treated are first preheated under pressure in'a large chamber and are then conveyed through a dehydration system, particularly under vacuum. The pressure chamber is indicated at I and is usually some 6' x 6 in dimension. One

end of the chamber is provided with plates II having on the outside surface the heavy rubber gaskets I2 against which the door' plate I3 bears. The door or closure member 14 is hingeless and is slid out of position either horizontally or vertically. In the structure illustrated, it is rolled horizontally, with this being accomplished by suspending the door by the strap I from the rollers I6 operating within the guide H. The bottom of the door is guided by roller I8, which bears against the guide I9.

The door closing mechanism comprises release bars (Figs. 1, 6 and 7) which connect the guide I9 with a wedge plate 2|; a movable wedge 22, and an anchor 23.

The operation of the wedge plate and anchor are best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The wedge plate comprises a pair of spaced upper plates and a pair of spaced lower plates 26 and the wedge shoulder 21, all of which are secured together by the bolts 28. The upper plates 25 are each provided with a diagonal slot 29 parallel to the leading edge of the wedge shoulder 21. The lower plates 26 are each provided with a slot 30 spaced immediately below and in the same position as the upper slots 29.

The wedge 22has an inclined wedging edge 3| parallel with the leading edge of the wedge shoulder 2?. The opposite edge 32 of the wedge is rectangular and is parallel to the edge 33 of the anchor 23. The wedge is provided with a, pair of pins 34 each of which extends both above and below the wedge as indicated in Fig. 7. The upper protrusions 35 of the pin 34 are positioned within the slots 29 of the wedge plate 2|." The lower protrusion 36 of the pins 34 extends through the slots 36 in the wedge plate 21 and into the slots 3'! in the anchor 23, as will be explained later.

The anchor 23 comprises an angle bar 40 which is secured to the floor to which is bolted the bar 4| having the forward edge 33 already described. This edge provides a guide for the motion of the wedge. -To this bar is secured a central guide member 42 which guides the three central edges of the plates 25 and 26 and the end guides 43 which serve a similar function for the outer edges of said plates. In addition, the anchor includes a bottom plate 44 provided with the slots 31 within which, as already explained, the lower extensions 36 of the pins 34 are seated.

The wedge 22 is moved inwardly and outwardly by any source of power operating through the shaft 45. The door or closure member I4 is moved sidewardly by any means desirable.

The operation of the structure is illustrated in Figs. 2' and 3, the door being shown open in Fig. 2. At that point, the Wedge 22 is in its withdrawn position. As the wedge is moved inwardly, the edge 3I bears against the edge 21 of the wedge bar and since the wedge is held against rearward or outward movement by the pins 34 in slots 31, or by the edge 33 of the anchor, as desired, the wedge bar is forced inwardly and presses against the plate 46 on .the closure member, thereby forcing the plate I3 against the gasket I 2 and sealing the door. At the conclusion of the operation, the positions of the various parts are illustrated in Fig. 3.

On opening of the door, the wedge 22 is withdrawn. Upon this withdrawal, the pins 34, being Within the slots 29 and 30, necessarily force the wedge bar outwardly and as it moves outwardly it carries with it the guide I9 which presses against the wheels I8 and, therefore, forces the door away from the gasket and open.

The same mechanism for closing the door is applied at the top of the door although that mechanism has not been described in detail.

It will be observed thatthe mechanism dewedge being spaced relative 'to each :other andto the closure member so that-on movement of the wedge in one direction the closure member is forced into closed position, and by movement of the wedge in the other direction the closure member is opened by said release bars.

,2. Door opening and closing mechanism .comprising a door, a plate secured to .the door provided with a shoulder and an elongated slot slightly inclined from the door, ,a wedge having an .edge' parallel .to and abutting against said shoulder and a .pin positioned within said slot, means for moving-said wedge alongsaid shoulder andan anchor securing said wedge against movement-toward or away from said door, whereby-on movement of said wedge in one direction said plate is forcedagainst said door to close the same and upon movement of the wedge in the other direction said pin engages a side of said slot and releases said door.

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 2, in which the pin is provided with an extension and said anchor is provided with a slot in which said extension is positioned. I

4. Mechanismas set forthrin claim 2, in which the anchor is provided with guide members between which said plate is positioned.

.5. In a pressure vessel a door closure closing substantially all of one end of the vessel, comprising a frame, a, flexible gasket enclosing the frame,za door adapted to be pressed against and sealed against said gasket, a plate secured to the door provided with an inclined shoulder and an elongated .slot substantially parallel to the shoulder, a wedge having an edge parallel to and abutting against said shoulder and a, pin'carried .by-.the wedge and positioned within ,said slot, means for moving said wedge along said shoulder, and an anchorsecuring said wedge against move. ment toward or away from said door,.whereby on movement of said wedge in one direction said plate is forced against said door to close the same, and upon movement of the wedge in the other direction said pin engages the side of said slot and releases said door.

ARNOLD H. HEINEMAN. 

